For The Sake Of A Loved One
by musicandme37
Summary: A possible scenario of a post-wedding spoiler, in which two enemies put aside their differences for the sake of a loved one.


Hey guys! It's a while since I posted anything new...there's been so much happening lately!  
Anyhoo I hope you enjoy my interpretation of some upcoming spoilers.  
Also, I hope I don't bash Doug too badly in this fic, but as a Stendan shipper, it's pretty darn hard not to be biased, as much as I try.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hollyoaks.  
Warnings: Some spoilers, so if you aren't up to date on them and don't want to be spoiled, don't read!

* * *

Doug had never known a noise more heartbreakingly endless than the beeping of hospital machinery. He wished he'd never had the opportunity to realise that fact.

He'd been sitting in lonely silence for the past couple of hours, with only the ceaseless beeping for company. It made him grit his teeth and drop his head forward onto the mattress, covering his ears with an emotional groan.

He stayed there for a few minutes or so, until he realised someone was talking to him. Even his hands over his ears couldn't block out that voice. His voice.

"What do you want Brendan?!" He snapped, raising his head to glare at the Irishman that had slipped in through the door whilst Doug had had his lapse in awareness.

"I said, that you shouldn't be so annoyed with the noises." He nodded to the machines by the bed and took a wary step forward. "If I were you, I would treasure them. It means he's still with us…" His words trailed off and his eyes remained on Ste, who, Doug realised, Brendan hadn't looked away from since entering the room.

"Get out Brendan."

"I've been keeping my distance Douglas, due to the circumstances…" Brendan's eyes left Ste momentarily to eye Doug's injuries before they shot back again. "And because you wanted me to. But you can't keep me away forever."

In fact, Doug was surprised Brendan had kept away as long as he had. The minute Brendan had heard about the accident he had come bursting into the hospital waiting room whilst Ste was still in surgery. Even Doug hadn't been allowed to see Ste yet at that point, so there was no way in hell that Doug was going to let Brendan see him. Brendan had been wild eyed and demanding and panicked. Something that Doug hadn't seen in him since Walker had drugged Declan. It was obvious Brendan was scared. But Ste was Doug's husband, and Brendan wasn't welcome. With the backup from some of the other wedding survivors in the waiting room – Texas and Leanne mainly – he had managed to get Brendan to go away. Though he doubted Brendan had left the hospital at all, and if he had, that he hadn't gone very far.

Doug clicked back to the present when he spotted Brendan shifting closer to the other side of the bed. "Keep away from him."

Brendan fixed him with an angry glare that barely masked the sadness that was rippling beneath the surface. "You know as well as I do that I've never been able to do that, Douglas." The fact that that statement held more truth than jibe only made Doug angrier.

"You are the reason all this happened."

Brendan did a double-take. "What?"

"You are the reason Ste is like this."

Brendan's face fell. Any mask he'd been wearing for his own and Doug's benefit dropped away to reveal the shattered man beneath. "Don't…don't say that. Don't ever say that! I wasn't even at the wedding! I didn't drive the bus…I…" His gaze fell to Ste again and Doug could see the Irishman's eyes glittering with tears.

"You're the reason Ste was angry with me. You're the reason he went outside and…" Doug swallowed off a sob. "You never gave me and Ste a chance."

Brendan stared at him with renewed anger. "You're married to him for Christ sake, Doug! I gave you more than a chance…I gave you everything! Everything I ever wanted. So don't you dare try to blame me!"

Doug stood up abruptly, the memories too hard to take, "I'm going to get a nurse."

"What? To tell me to leave?" Brendan snorted. "No chance."

Doug took a step towards the door but then Brendan was standing in front of him with a change of tact, hands wavering as they were held up in defence. "Don't…don't send me away Douglas…let me stay, sit with him just for a little while…"

Doug sighed tiredly. "If I let you, will you leave?"

"I won't come back whilst you're here."

That wasn't the answer Doug wanted. Brendan knew it too. It just meant that Doug wouldn't leave Ste's side, if it meant keeping Brendan away.

"I know what you're thinking, you know." Brendan hissed, eyes darkening, "You should stay with Steven because you want to, not because you want to keep me away."

Brendan always managed to make Doug feel like the bad guy. "Do you want to stay or not?" Doug retorted.

Brendan nodded swiftly and moved to grab a seat, sitting down on the opposite side of Ste to Doug.

Doug took his seat again, watching Brendan defiantly.

Brendan was ignoring him, eyes on Ste as they looked over the comatose boy before him, taking in each injury, and reacting to each one like they were being inflicted on him too. "Oh god…Steven…" He choked quietly; completely oblivious to the fact that Doug was witnessing it. His hand moved towards where Ste's hand lay limply on the bed. One look at the wedding band on the finger of the hand Brendan was reaching for had Doug clearing his throat loudly.

x-H.O-x

Brendan flinched inwardly at the warning noise Doug made and reluctantly retracted his hand. He glanced back up at Doug. The American was watching him closely, taking in every movement Brendan made. Brendan was beginning to doubt whether Doug had been a better option for Ste after all; he seemed to be more concerned about Brendan's presence than Ste. Maybe the American was still in some kind of shock; he still looked a mess after the accident, his wrist bandaged and light cuts and bruises littered his face and arms. But Brendan knew that Doug was a lucky one. Others hadn't been so lucky. Some people had died. And Steven…well, it looked bad now, but Steven was going to be just fine. He had to be.

"I've never known him so quiet." Brendan broke the awkward silence, watching Ste's sleeping face with an aching heart.

"Huh?" Doug asked, obviously resurfacing from thoughts of his own.

"Steven. He always has something to talk about. The longest time Steven is ever quiet is when he's sleeping, but even then he talks in his sleep sometimes, doesn't he?"

He watched Doug's face screw up painfully. Brendan knew Doug always hated it when Brendan and Ste's past was mentioned, most of all by Brendan, who couldn't help the fondness that crept into his tone whenever he did. It was plainly obvious Doug still despised what Brendan had had with Ste.

Brendan didn't blame him. Ste was special.

"Does he?" Doug asked after a moment of silence, so quietly Brendan almost missed it.

"What?"

"I didn't know he talks in his sleep…what kind of things did he say?"

Brendan remembered Ste muttering about Amy and the kids but mostly Ste had mumbled either about Brendan or to Brendan in his sleep. Brendan swallowed, "Nothing too interesting, just random stuff about the kids...that kind of thing."

That got Doug's attention. "How is Leah?"

"She's confused and upset. Me and Cheryl have been keeping an eye on her until Amy gets here. You wouldn't let me see Steven, but I know he'd want Leah to be looked after, so that's what I've done." He couldn't help but sound slightly bitter. Doug was Leah's step-father now after all, and god, didn't that make Brendan feel sick in the stomach?

Doug looked ready to argue again so Brendan quickly changed topic. "Have they told you when they think Steven will wake up?"

Doug shook his head, tears springing to his eyes and his lip wobbling. "No. They don't know. His situation may not get better, it may get worse…" He took Ste's hand and buried his face into it.

Whilst Doug was distracted, Brendan slipped his own hand into Ste's other hand, disliking the coolness of the wedding band against his skin. "He's going to be fine." He said determinedly. Steven couldn't leave him. He just couldn't. He looked at Ste's face, "Steven, you're going to be fine."

Doug sniffed and raised his eyes to Brendan again, "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

The American paused. "It doesn't matter."

Brendan spotted the guilt. He could always see the guilt in Douglas. "What for?" He repeated.

Doug sniffed some more, "Nothing, it doesn't matter, honestly. I erm…I'm just going to go and get a drink."

Brendan looked at him with confusion. "Ok." What happened to Doug refusing to leave Brendan alone with Ste?

"I want you gone by the time I get back, ok?" Doug said. Ah, that was more like it.

Brendan was going to argue, but then realised this might be his only chance. He nodded.

Doug stood and left the room without another word.

Brendan immediately turned to Ste. "I thought he'd never leave…" He said jokingly, "We never do get long enough alone do we Steven? Honestly, trust to you to go from blushing bride to damsel in distress…you just attract drama don't you Steven?" He paused, and when Ste didn't laugh, like Brendan oh so wanted him to, he took a deep shuddering breath. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, at the wedding. I could have done something, been there with you, or got hit by the damn bus myself." He lifted Ste's hand to his mouth, pressing the knuckles against his lips. "Please wake up. I don't want to live in a world without you Steven. I can't. Don't leave me."

There was movement outside the door and Brendan jumped. He didn't trust Doug, there was something up about him; he had been acting oddly lately; prying too much and trying too hard to do so. Something was going on that he didn't know about, and he knew he probably didn't have much time. "I'll try and visit again, if he lets me." He reached around the back of his head and took off his crucifix necklace. He kissed it, before pressing the skin-warmed metal into Ste's hand, next to the cold wedding band. He looked up to the ceiling, "Keep Steven safe; protect him whilst I can't."

He then stood up and leant in close to Ste, taking in the unconscious face, smelt his hair and ran a hand through it before whispering into his ear "I love you, Steven." A lone tear fell from Brendan's eye onto Ste's cheek and he soothed it away with his thumb. "Just wake up soon. Don't leave me. Please."

He kissed Ste's cheek and let go of Ste's hand, leaving his necklace in Ste's curled fingers. And then he moved away, taking one last look until next time, another tear spilling down his face.

He was gone by the time Doug got back to the room.


End file.
